Jay bar



pr. l0, 1923.

J. A. L. HEFNER l JAY AR Filed Jan. 5l, 1921 JA-,Z,][fffzef3 INVENTOS WITN ESSES AT1-ORN Ey( Patented 3i-pr.. Nl, i923.

nain

JAY BAE.

Appnaanon sied January a1, 1921. serial no. 441,306.

To all lwhom t may concer/a.'

Be it known that l, Jnssn si., L. l-lnrrvnrz, a citizen of the United Fntates, residing at Danese, in the county of Fayette and fitate 'of `West Virginia, have invented new and useful improvements in J ay Bars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to jay bars, and its object is to provide a device for use in logging, whereby, in the event of the log running up on the horses or other means for dragging the log, the connection to the horses may be readily thrown off from the jay bar so that the horses may be -drawn to one side or the other of the log and released ltl/ierefrom and given an opportunity to escape injury from the moving log.

rl`he device is particularly useful in the wintertime when the ground may be slippery and where the log, in going down hill, may gain momentum 'against which the -horses can gain no control. The same is true where the ground is slippery from other causes. When the log, or string of logs, starts to slide down hill, it is necessary to quickly disconnect the horses from the log in order to savethe horses from injury, and the same would be true if a motor vehicle, such as a power truck, be used for a like purpose. l

The invention contemplates the employment of a bar for interposition in a chain between grabs to be `driven one into the top of the log and the other into-the forward end thereof, so that the jay bar will lie upon the top of the log. Such bar has a top surface rounded between the side edges and rising from such top surface in approximately the center line of the bar is a hookshaped projection of tapering, rounded contour, over which a spreader hook is engaged and which hook is connected to the harness of the horses. ln the event of the log starting on the horses and so endangering them, the horses are drawn to one side or the other of the line of travel, whereupon the tapered form of the horn causes the hook to ride up and off the horn and so be discharged therefrom.

The invention will `be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modied so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a log with the logging chain and jay bar secured thereto, and'` also showing a portion of the draw chain.

Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the jay bar.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. t is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referrin a jay bar comprising an elongated platelike body l of sufficient length, breadth and thickness for the purpose and provided with a rounded or curved upper `surface' 2, and

N innata to the drawings, there is shown with ears 8 at opposite ends in about the longitudinal center line of the body member. The ears are each perforated as indicated at t, for receiving chain links 5, each of which is connected to a grab hook 6 of any appropriate form and which may be of a construction long in use;

Each ear 3 terminates at the outer end in a pointed or beveled extremity 7 so related to the jay bar that when the latter is lying flat upon the log, the hook 7 will engage in the surface of thel log eithei` because of the pull on the jay bar or because of being driven more or less into the log.

Moreover, the body member 2 may be slightly curved on the under surface in the direction of its width, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 4. At about midway of the length of the body member 2, there is formed an uprising horn 9 of rounded, tapering contour,

with the horn having a rising curve rearwardly of the line of draft Aand terminating in a blunt point 10.

Adapted to the hook 9 is an open link or hook 11 to embrace the horn 9 and fast to one end of a draft chain 12 to which the draft horses may be hitched. The rear one of the grab hooks 6 is driven at the appropriate' point on the log into the latter, while force applied to the horn 9 through the link ll and chain l2 holds the rear grab hook 6 in proper position on the top of the log. The other grab hook is connected to t-he front eye 3 by means of links 13 and 14 and a D link 15, `which latter may be utilized being drawn along a level or rising surface and Where the log cannot move toward the horses.

When the hook 1l is applied to the horn 9, and the draft horses are pulling on the chain l2, the log indicated at B in Fig. l is drawn along the surface of the ground in the usual manner. If now, because of the nature of the surface over Which the log is being hauled, theA log tends to creep up on the horses, the latter, if properly trained or at Word of command, will dran to one side of the line of travel of the log and the hook ll being then no longer controlled by the overhanging hook 9 and because of the elliptical-or other sectional shape of the hook, Will ride up the latter and so pull loose from the hook, and consequently from the log, allowing the log, if it has sufficient momentum,.to travel on past the horses Without touchingthe latter or in any manner injuring them, and thus avoidingr injury or even death to valuable stock. rlhe jay bar and jay horn are in practice made in one piece and the upper surfaceof the jay bar is rounded transversely of its length so that there is nothing upon which the free end of the hook l1 may catch, sothat the hook will readily slip from engagement With any part of the jay bar, Wherefore the connection of thehorses With the jay bar is automatically thrown off.

In practice, the jay bar may be approximately 7 ,inches in length and approximately 3 inches inWidth `and l inch thick, With rounded or bevelled side edges. If the `horn be about l?,- inches high and about linches in diameter at the base, such dimensions have proven eifective in practice. The hook 11 is' of a size to readily encircle the horn at the :base of the horn, and consequentlyvwhen the hook is turned to one side or the other of the center line of draft, it Will readily slip off from the horn, being prevented from catching on any part of the jay bar, because of the rounded contour of the upper surface of the bar, which presents rounded surfaces only to the hook so that the open part of the hook finds nothing upon Which to hang.

What is claimed is l. A jay bar for use in logging, comprising' an elongated plate-like structure With a laterally rounded top surface and a transversely curved cylindrical `under surface adapted to lit the side of a log, and a horn rising from an intermediate point of the upper surface for receiving a chain hook, the jay bar being provided With ears at each end in the line of draft With each ear having a downwardly-inclined tapered extremity terminating in a sharp point adapted t0 bite into the log.

2. A jay bar for use in logging, comprising a plate-like device With a round tapered rearwardly-curved horn rising from an intermediate point of its length, and ears at the ends of the device in theline of draft with each ear having a downwardly-inclined tapered extremity, terminating in a sharp point adapted to bite into the surface of the log to which the jay bar is applied.

3.y A jay bar comprising an elongated plate-like structure With a laterally rounded upper surface, and a horn` circular in cross section rising from the upper ksurface intermediate the length thereof and inclined rearwardly and tapering toward its upper end, the rearward inclination of the horn increasing toward its extremity. f

In testlmony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

JESSE A. L HEFNER. 

